For
its size of 120,538 sq km ( slightly smaller than Nicaragua )
, population ( roughly 24 million, about the same as Ghana
and Yemen ) and nominal
GDP slightly less than Ethiopia
, North Korea or the Democratic People's Republic of Korea ( DPRK
) exerts a weighty influence on world affairs . Its large army
( fourth in the world in terms of number of troops ),development
of nuclear weapons and provokative actions make it a flashpoint
for a regional or even a world war. How did this come to be ?

On July 27, 1953, there was a final burst of firing
along the line, then the hills were quiet. Both armies withdrew
2 kilometers, leaving a four kilometer wide DMZ. The Korean War was
over. An official peace treaty, however, was never signed, and the two Koreas have technically been at war since 1950.
North Korea had suffered an estimated 500,000 casualties and the
country was devastated by American bombings. The North inherited
a more industrialized country than the South, as the Japanese had
located many industries in the North to help with the war effort.
While many of these facilities were destroyed in the war, the basic
groundwork remained. While the Chinese stayed
out of internal domestic politics,they demanded management of the
war. Peng Dehuai was reported to have said that the war was between
him and MacArthur, and Kim Il Song had no part in it. This
of course irked the supreme North Korean leader, and in the Revolutionary
museum in Pyongyang today there is not a single picture of the
Chinese contribution to the Korean War. The Chinese occupation force
did not depart North Korea till 1958. American forces are still
in South Korea till this day.

A huge
oil refinery in Wonson bombed out in 1950. Much of North Korea devastated by
American bombing.

After the war, Kim took control of North Korean politics, with the
support of the armed forces, who respected his wartime record and long
resistance to the Japanese. Pak Hon-yong, party vice chairman and
Foreign Minister of the DPRK, was blamed for the failure of the
southern population to support North Korea during the war and was
executed after a show-trial in 1955. Pak had told Kim that 200,000 South Koreans
would rise up after the invasion and overthrow the South Korean
government. Most of the South Korean leftists
who defected to the North in 1945–1953 were also accused of espionage
and other crimes and killed, imprisoned or exiled to remote
agricultural and mining villages. Most of the South Korean Communist were expelled
from the party. There were some challenges to Kim Il Song's rule
during and after the Korean War, but the coup leaders were disorganized.
Kim systematically purged his political opponents to gain permanent
and unlimited power. In theory Kim as premier reported to the legislature,
in reality he was dictator, king for life, with more power than
any Korean king ever held. He lived in luxury with at least five
palaces in North Korea. The Workers' Party of Korea merged with other
Korean Communist parties and has remained ruling party in the DPRK since its foundation.

South Korean GNP surpasses
North Korea, South Korea starts and abandons nuclear
weapons project under US pressure, North Korea begins
to dig tunnels under DMZ, fuel and food shortages leads
to greater crackdowns on dissent

rted.
As this type of reactors are used more for producing
weapons than electricity, US and USSR alarmed. Soviet
Union agrees to aid NK in producing light water reactors,
which can't produce nuclear weapons. Collapse of Soviets
prevents this.

PRC
recognises South Korea and cuts off aid to North Korea.
demands market prices for goods and oil.

1993

U.S.
announces it will target NK with nuclear missles.North Korean announcement
to withdraw from Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. U.S. draws up plans to attack Yongbyon nuclear plant.

July 8,
1994

Kim Il Song dies of heart
attack, son Kim Jong il becomes head of state, North
Korea signs the Agreed Framework after Carter visits
NK in which NK agrees
to halt development ofof nuclear weapons in return
building civilian reactors and oil supplies

1995

Severe Floods, famine
estimates of deaths as high as 2~3 million,North Korea
$10 billion in debt, 50% of GNP

Reported
coup attempt against Kim Jong Il by army elements in
famine hit North Hamgyong province. Exposed by Kim Yong Chun, who is promoted by Kim Jong Il to Vice
Chairman of the powerful National Defense Commission.

Defection
of Hwang Jang-yop , prominent NK official and architect
of juche

1998

South Korean President
Kim Dae jong establishes Sunshine policy to improve
relations with the North, North Korea launches first
satellite with a Taepodong-1 is a two-stage intermediate-range
ballistic missile

2002

George Bush refers to
North Korea as part of the 'axis of evil'

April
2003

The Pong Su incident
Australian Special Operations Command intercepted and
boarded the Pong Su, a North Korean ocean freighter
in Australian territorial waters. The ship was suspected
of being involved in smuggling almost 150 kg (330 pounds)
of heroin into Australia. An official of the governing Korean Workers' Party was found on board, linking the drug shipment to Kim Jong-il's government.
Nuclear reactors reactivated, refuses to allow nuclear
inspectors into country. Test firing of missile into
Sea of Japan .

2006

In reaction to the US
invasion of Iraq, North Korea builds and detonates nuclear
device on Oct 9,2006,

2007

severe flooding in Aug,
2007, about 450 killed, more famine

2008

South Korean tourist
shot and killed at Kŭmgangsan Tourist Region suspendeds
South Korea tourist travel to the region

Aug 2009

former President Clinton
meets with Kim Jong-il to secure the release of 2 US journalists

March 26, 2010

Dec
17, 2011

South Korean corvette Cheonan sinks near North Korean border, South claims ship was torpedoed by North Korean miniature submarine.

Death
of Kim Jong-il, succeeded by his third youngest son,
Kim Jong-un.